You have paid your automobile insurance premiums faithfully, every month, for the past umpteen years. Perhaps even to the same company for years upon years upon years. After you get into an accident, you find that you finally need to put that insurance to use, either for reimbursement of property damage to your car or for payment of medical bills after an auto accident. And then you quickly find out that your insurance company is treating you as their adversary, not as their client; even if the accident was not your fault.

Why has this happened? Haven’t you built a good relationship with your insurance company after years of being a loyal and compliant customer?

In truth, none of that matters. As a recent article on the Huffington Post highlights, it is the business of the insurance companies to (1) intentionally delay payment of your claim; and (2) produce purposefully low offers to claimants.

If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident and it was through no fault of your own, you may think that it will be easy to settle your claim without an attorney. As the insurance companies are not looking to give you fair value to compensate you for your injuries, nor are they looking to do it quickly unless it is for a less-than-value rate, you would be proceeding at your own peril. If you need someone to help you navigate the red tape of the insurance industry, please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss your claim.

Lara Lovett is a member of Stark & Stark’s Lawrenceville, New Jersey office, specializing in Accident & Personal Injury Law. For more information, please contact Ms. Lovett.